The Legend of Cynder: Shattered Innocence
by Cherrystripe of ThunderClan
Summary: She was captured and imprisoned by Malefor for years. She suffered agonizing pain and had her mind poisoned. Her destiny was chosen for her. This is Cynder's story.


**My computer (with all my story files on it) just crashed. -__-; I don't think it'll ever work again, it's like, 8 years old...oh well. I guess that means you'll have to wait for Shadows book 5 (which I'll have to rewrite.) I'm working on it now, but while you're waiting I have this story finished. My first Legend of Spyro fanfic, please review!**

Darkness loomed over the horizon. The celestial moons glimmered over the lush land, illuminating the leafy trees, shrubbery, and flowers. Butterflies drifted lazily overhead as gray clouds started emerging. The temperature was comfortably warm. Spring was in full bloom.

Suddenly, a foreboding boom of thunder sounded in the sky. Lightning cracked in response, lighting up the sky like a lantern. Rain started trickling down from the skies, piddling softly onto the soil.

Malefor's army gathered outside, clanking their weapons anxiously and churning the wet soil into mud. They lay in wait outside a huge, circular building. Their leader, a huge, bulky creature, snarled incomprehensible orders to his sector. He emitted a few gruff growls and, finally, a signal that the entire army understood—he slid his hand across his throat. Kill all you come across, leave no survivors.

The leader gestured for his sector to follow behind him, and the army started to proceed up to the doors of the temple. The members of the army trembled in excitement, bloodlust overpowering their senses.

As they approached the door, the leader reached out a small shard from a special pocket inside his armor. This small but deadly crystal was to be touched by no other but him. Any others that dared put their filthy hands on it would be stunned and, most likely, killed on the spot.

He slowly lifted the crystal out of his pocket and held it close to the door. The wretched creature mumbled something in ape language and tapped the crystal on the door five times. There was a loud rumbling and, to the others' delight, the door rolled open with a creak. The leader cringed at the loud noise.

Savage cackles and bellows sounded from the vast cluster of apes. They jumped up and down in excitement. They had found a way inside the temple as they had been commanded by Malefor.

The leader sighed in relief. If the crystal had not worked correctly, then he would be killed by the Dark Master and replaced by some other ugly brute. He had upheld this position longer than any other, and he was not willing to lose it anytime soon.

His fur bristled at the crude sound of rejoicing soldiers. He let out an impatient hiss and turned his arm in a circle. Shut up and follow me, the signal meant.

Obediently, the others followed behind, tiptoeing into the temple. Their claws scratched against the rock walls, creating atrocious screeching noises.

The soldiers padded through the corridors, holding their noses high above their heads to detect the scent that they were searching for—dragon.

Suddenly, an ape farther down the hall released a triumphant cry. Apparently, he had caught the scent and had found a trail to follow that would lead them to what they were searching for.

The leader turned his head in the soldier's direction, curiously taking a whiff of the air. His hands clenched in victory. Indeed, there was a vague scent of dragons on the air. They were going in the right direction.

He took out the crystal to open the door and let out a roar of success. The others howled in excitement and poured through the door as it swept open. Although he was being trampled, the lieutenant was flaring with pride. The dragon guardians would be no match for the massive, overpowering army.

***

Meanwhile, in a room farther away from the ape army, four dragons lovingly prepared for the moment that was heartbeats away. Dozens of eggs in every color were strewn about the room, nestled carefully atop the softest straw and moss that the guardians could find.

The eggs would be hatching any hour now. The four dragon guardians were standing vigil anxiously for the safe hatching. One of the guardians had caught word that the Dark Master would soon be leading his army into the dragon temple, so they had to stay on their toes.

The ice guardian, Cyril, edged closer and closer to a white egg dappled with pale blue speckles. He gazed down at it lovingly; he had a feeling that it would hatch as an ice dragon just like him and couldn't stop looking at the pure, unscratched beauty of the ivory colored egg. Meanwhile, the fire guardian, Ignitus, chuckled to himself as Volteer chattered about the coming of the next brood.

Suddenly, a loud, foreboding bang sounded from the corridor. The instant jolting sound made all four of the dragons jump. Volteer narrowed his eyes suspiciously and got up from his post. He stumbled into the hall with his tail swinging from side to side curiously. Who could possibly be here at this time of night, and why?

Terrador, the earth guardian, rose to his feet and followed his friend. Of all the guardians, he was the bulkiest and the best fighter. Volteer could not afford to have an encounter with the Dark Master's mercenaries without backup. The door creaked open and the two set out to investigate.

Cyril did not get up, however. He still was keeping guard over the special egg. For some reason unknown to him, Cyril felt an attraction to the egg that was almost magnetic. It was almost as if the egg was his own.

Ignitus as well did not budge. He, too, was keeping watch over an egg. This egg was a very extraordinary one- it's shell was tinted with a very odd color for a dragon: purple. Ignitus could not let the egg get into the evil hands of Malefor, the first purple dragon that had been causing chaos ever since the four guardians themselves had raised him. This dragon egg was the most unique of the entire brood because prophecies about it had been mumbled by the ancient dragon ancestors. This dragon was to make a stamp on its grief-stricken age, overriding the Dark Master with its extraordinary powers and bringing peace to all the realms. The prophecy was the exact reason that Malefor was bringing his strongest forces in to overwhelm the temple and smash the egg and, for all Ignitus knew, kill him and the other three guardians.

Suddenly, without warning, Volteer's bulky, striped body burst through the door. Cyril jolted out of his trancelike state and jumped to his feet.

"Save them!" gasped Volteer, seemingly out of breath from dashing through the labyrinth of halls throughout the temple. Terrador was nowhere to be seen. "The dark armies have come."

Ignitus looked wildly around. There was no way that only three dragons would be able to carry all the eggs within the time that the army would crash in to smash the eggs. He would have to sacrifice this brood for the single egg: the purple dragon.

He hastily ran up to the nest and took the purple egg from the hay. The crimson dragon cradled the egg under his wing safely and blew his most powerful fire through the door that led to the balcony outside. He dodged around the stone statue of the enormous dragon guarding its brood and rushed out another door.

Quickly, Ignitus leaped off the balcony and flew over the horizon, the moonlight bleaching his scales to a radiant silver. _The poor creature, _Ignitus thought pitifully as he soared far away from the danger. _It will never know where it really came from…_

***

While Ignitus escaped the temple with the purple dragon egg, Cyril stood up in alarm as he heard vicious snarling coming from the hall just outside the room he was in. Should he save the rest of the eggs, or leave them behind to fight off the attackers? Either way, Cyril was putting himself in danger.

Volteer had told them to save as many eggs as they could. But there was no way that they would be able to rescue them _all,_ especially since Ignitus had left with the purple dragon egg.

Quickly, he made up his mind. If Ignitus had decided to abandon this year's brood, then Cyril would have to as well. His heart being torn in two, Cyril turned to leave the rest of the eggs, as well as the precious pale white one.

Suddenly, a streak of foolishness whipped through the ice dragon's veins. No matter what happened, he would not—_could not_ leave the blue and white egg behind. Without the slightest hesitation, Cyril turned around, his heart beating through his chest as he heard raucous howls coming outside the door. Booms echoed throughout the room—the Dark Master's forces were making their way into the room.

Cyril cradled the egg in his arm, then guiltily darted out of the room. With one last rueful look, he left the rest of the countless unborn dragons behind and prayed to his ancestors that Volteer and Terrador would be able to protect them.


End file.
